Biography
Mel Tolkin (né Shmuel Tolchinsky) was a television comedy writer. Born on 3 August 1913 near Odessa in the Russian Empire (now Ukraine), he moved with his family to Montreal in 1926. He began his career writing revues there in the 1930s before moving to New York after the Second World War.
Tolkin was head writer on the live sketch series Your Show of Shows (1950–1954) and its successor Caesar’s Hour (1954–1957). In the 1970s he served as story editor on All in the Family and wrote multiple episodes of the series; he also contributed to Archie Bunker's Place and Love, Sidney. He received an Emmy Award, a Humanitas Prize, a Peabody Award and four Writers Guild of America Awards.
Tolkin died on 26 November 2007 in Century City, California. He was the father of screenwriters Michael Tolkin and Stephen Tolkin.
